Warrior
Sizzla David Banner N.O.R.E. & Jon Connor Lyrics
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Killing from fear, what he couldn't explain.
Disease unknown to this virgin land.
Laid to waste, with the gun in command.
From the steel rails, the bullets did fly shooting buffalo, with a gleam in their eyes.
The sheer sport and the blood of the kill burning carcass's til they had their fill.
[Chorus:]
The whiteman came and let his pain but the warrior lives again.
The pain and the sorrow, rose with the sun.
Ending their dreams with a whip and a gun.
Stripped of their rights and their dignity too bound to be slaves, ready for abuse.
To the reservations, the government sent fill up the prisons, until they repent.
Now the land, that's all left will be taken back with another theft.
(Chorus)
They rise, they rise, they rise again.
It's their time, their time, to live, live, live again.
The lyrics to "Warrior" by Sizzla David Banner N.O.R.E. & Jon Connor tell the story of the whiteman's invasion of the virgin land and the subsequent destruction of the land and its indigenous people. The opening lines describe the European settlers entering the "badlands" and indiscriminately killing anything they couldn't explain out of fear. The settlers brought with them diseases that the native people had never encountered before, which devastated their communities. The settlers also used their superior weaponry to hunt buffalo, not out of necessity but for the sheer sport of it.
The chorus of the song proclaims that despite the destruction and colonization, the warrior spirit of the indigenous people lives on and the nightmare they faced will come to an end. However, the pain and sorrow caused by the settlers' actions are enduring, and the second verse describes how the settlers stripped the native people of their rights and dignity, forcing them into slavery and prison camps. The song ends on a note of defiance, with the rise of the indigenous people and the promise of a future where they can live again.
Overall, "Warrior" is a powerful protest song that speaks to the legacy of colonization and the ongoing struggle for indigenous people's rights and sovereignty.
Line by Line Meaning
Into the badlands, the whiteman came.
The white men entered into foreign lands without any regard for their impact.
Killing from fear, what he couldn't explain.
The white men killed what they didn't understand.
Disease unknown to this virgin land.
The natives suffered from diseases that they had no previous exposure to.
Laid to waste, with the gun in command.
The white men used guns to destroy the land and its people.
From the steel rails, the bullets did fly shooting buffalo, with a gleam in their eyes.
White people killed buffalo for sport, often from the comfort of trains.
The sheer sport and the blood of the kill burning carcass's til they had their fill.
White people killed animals until they were satiated, enjoying the hunt and bloodshed.
[Chorus:] But the warrior lives again and the nightmare's got to end. The whiteman came and let his pain but the warrior lives again.
The native people will rise again and overcome the oppression they have faced.
The pain and the sorrow, rose with the sun.
The natives endure immense suffering every day.
Ending their dreams with a whip and a gun.
The white men destroyed the hopes and dreams of the native people with violent force.
Stripped of their rights and their dignity too bound to be slaves, ready for abuse.
The native people were stripped of all their basic human rights and dignity, being forced into slavery and abusive situations.
To the reservations, the government sent fill up the prisons, until they repent.
The government forced native people into reservations and took away their freedom, often leading to punishment and imprisonment.
Now the land, that's all left will be taken back with another theft.
White people will continue to take land until none are left with a sense of entitlement and disregard for native lives.
(Chorus)
The native people will rise again and overcome the oppression they have faced.
They rise, they rise, they rise again. It's their time, their time, to live, live, live again.
The native people will rise again and it is time for them to live freely again.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: JOE KEITHLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind